


The Long and Winding Road

by TrekBec82



Series: Ineffable Husbands [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Crowley's Bentley (Good Omens), Fluff and Smut, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Light Angst, Lower Tadfield (Good Omens), M/M, Outdoor Sex, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-02 06:48:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20271700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrekBec82/pseuds/TrekBec82
Summary: The Ineffable Husbands return to Tadfield to thank Adam, and the Bentley plays something other than Queen.





	The Long and Winding Road

**Author's Note:**

> The sequel to Your Glory and Your Love I didn't know I was going to write. Parts of this story won't make as much sense if you haven't read that one first, so I'd recommend reading them in order.
> 
> There's quite a soundtrack nestled in amongst this story - music I think Crowley would enjoy, partly because I do. I'm not sure if I'll continue putting so much into future fics, but I enjoyed finding the right songs for different moments in this one. I encourage you to play them, if you can. Links are in the notes at the end.
> 
> Once again special thanks to my lovely friend and editor, Rachel. You can find her on Tumblr as [WritKit](http://writkit.tumblr.com).
> 
> If you'd like to follow me on Tumblr - where I share loads of Good Omens posts and a sprinkling of other things - you can do so at [TrekBec82](http://trekbec82.tumblr.com/).
> 
> You can find the complete playlist on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXBALksKVRE3EkwxN3JwoSCAa87Cb_8Zf) or [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5muVW31zyYlgmgjcFsg1ND?si=UY_TmcBRS2qDBP4RreUjXw).

_… “I love you, my dear.”_  
_“I love you too, Angel.”_  
_“So what now?”_  
_“Now you have your way with me.”_  
_“Ooh, golly, that sounds rather splendid.”_  
_“It does, doesn't it?”..._

Aziraphale thought fondly of the previous day, with all he and Crowley had done together. Lunch at the Ritz after the rousing success of their switcheroo. Discovering the new wine cellar under the bookshop. Crowley teaching him to waltz. Finally confessing their love for one another after so many years - and then expressing that love physically. 

Crowley had gone back to his flat after breakfast to water his plants, and Aziraphale was trying to inventory his books - what with Adam having made additions in so many areas - but found he couldn't concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time before once again becoming distracted by thoughts of Crowley. Crowley on his knees, worshipping Aziraphale with his talented tongue. Crowley in his bed - he must thank Adam for that lovely new bed! - the two of them discovering together many of the varied ways a more-or-less-human corporation could feel pleasure. Aziraphale suddenly had a new appreciation for the fact humanity got anything done at all, if it felt as good to them as it had for him. 

He gave up on inventory, and decided to listen to some music instead. He'd long known that Crowley had broadly ranging tastes - despite the Bentley's proclivity for turning everything into The Best of Queen - but he'd never had such easy access to Crowley's entire record collection before. With no idea how it was sorted, or what half of it might be, he decided to select a record at random, and hope for the best. 

As luck would have it, the album Aziraphale had plucked was The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Aziraphale had never been good at keeping up to date with popular music, but he'd at least heard of The Beatles, and recalled the "Beatlemania" that had swept the globe some decades ago - no doubt thanks to Crowley performing one of his large-scale inconvenient-rather-than-evil interventions. The Beatles were talented in their own right of course, but nothing said "Crowley was here" quite like hoards of screaming humans fighting to get close to a quartet of musicians. 

As the needle of the gramophone  * moved from the titular opening track, to "With a Little Help From My Friends", Aziraphale heard the tinkle of the bell at his shop door, and a moment later Crowley joined him in the newly expanded back room. "Listening to my records when I'm not even here, Angel?"  
"I couldn't focus on inventory, my dear. I didn't think you'd mind."  
"I don't mind in the slightest, I'm just surprised is all."  
"It seems to be a week for surprises, doesn't it?"  
"You can say that again. You should see my flat."  
"Why, what's wrong with your flat?"  
"Aside from my record collection being here, you mean?"  
"Aside from the obvious, yes." 

"My 'throne' as you've dubbed it, is now one of a complementary pair, and the second is clearly intended for you, given the colour scheme. EVERY plant has fresh shoots, every flowering plant is in bloom. The green room is now somehow an actual garden, and has more than quadrupled in size. It contains every rare plant that exists on Earth, regardless of what climate it would ordinarily thrive in. There are microclimates making that possible. My flat has microclimates, Aziraphale." 

"It sounds like Eden."  
"It looks like Eden. It feels like Eden. Adam has given me a scaled down version of Eden in my flat, Aziraphale. I… I… I…" Crowley stuttered to a stop, threw himself onto the sofa next to Aziraphale, and put his head in his hands.  
Aziraphale put an arm around his shoulders, and said quietly "He's given us everything we would never have dared to ask for."  
Crowley raised his head and looked at the angel. "He really has, hasn't he?"  
"I don't think a letter will suffice. We need to thank him in person. Would you care to go for a drive, my dear?"  
"It would be nice to go for a longer drive in the Bentley without it being on fire. Especially if you're with me this time."  
"Of course I'll be with you my dear. I need to thank him for so many things, I may never finish thanking him."  
"WE may never finish thanking him, Angel. If this is what he's done for us, imagine what he's done for his friends - his family - the world!" 

As it happens, Adam hadn't done much for the world as a whole, beyond resetting it to more-or-less how it was before the almost-apocalypse, and saving some endangered species. His family and friends had already benefited from his presence in their lives for 11 years, and would continue to do so for many more. Aziraphale and Crowley were the two people Adam had used his powers to gift on an individual basis, for no other reason than they had been at his side when his demonic father came calling. He had given them what they needed in much the same way he'd given Tadfield perfect weather - with general intent rather than specificity. He hadn't thought "give Aziraphale books, wine, and a bed", or "give Crowley plants and move his records to the bookshop". His thoughts were much more along the lines of "Aziraphale and Crowley should have what makes them happy" - and given that having each other would make them happier than anything else, the universe responded accordingly. 

As they drove through London - Crowley keeping to the speed limit for the first time since speed limits had been written into law - Aziraphale looked through the CDs in the glovebox.  ~ Aziraphale theorised that maybe, since the Bentley and its contents could be considered brand new and therefore less than a fortnight old, the CDs might actually be what they said they were, instead of The Best of Queen. He'd enjoyed Sgt. Pepper, so when he found The Beatles' "Let It Be", he thought it worth a shot. Crowley smiled when "Two of Us" came through the speakers rather than "Bohemian Rhapsody", and sang along in a beautiful tenor. It was halfway through the tenth track that Aziraphale realised his companion had fallen silent, and looked over to find him silently weeping. Aziraphale himself was moved by the lyrics, which sadly matched all too well with the history between them. He reached over and took Crowley's hand in his own, tangling their fingers together, and squeezing gently. As "The Long and Winding Road" ended, he took a deep breath and said "My door is yours now, Crowley - like my heart. I may never forgive myself for keeping you waiting as long as I did." 

Crowley pulled the car over, parking on the verge, then reached across to pull Aziraphale close, and held him so tightly that had they been human, he would have cracked ribs. After several minutes had passed Crowley stopped shaking, and relaxed his hold on Aziraphale, moving back enough to see his face. "I know forgiveness isn't supposed to be in my repertoire Angel, but I forgive you. You don't need to feel guilty. You loved me as much as you thought you could, without Heaven making your life Hell. That's more than any other angel would have done. You wanted to love me then as you do now, I know you did. Fear makes us do - or not do - so many things, and we can't go back and change them any more than humans can - but we can do things differently in the future, and it's the future I'd like us to focus on. To quote Jane Austen, 'think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure' - don't worry about 'if only', Angel. You can hold my hand now. I can hold you close now. We can kiss now. We can make love now." 

"Oh, Crowley. I love you so very much."  
"I know you do Angel, and I love you, too. Now, should we keep going, or do you want to go home?"  
"Keep going. We do still need to thank Adam. Though perhaps we could stop at a café and have a cup of tea and a bite to eat on the way?"  
"I wouldn't say no to a good espresso - café then Tadfield it is."  
"I'll choose another CD, shall I, dearest?"  
"If you can find AC/DC's Back In Black, put it in and skip to track 7 for me, please."  
"A particular song you want me to hear?"  
"A song that will make both of us smile, I think."  
"How interesting! Alright, let's see...what colour is it, do you know?"  
"As black as my wings, Angel."  
"Oh! Here it is… pop it in… skip… skip… skip… skip… skip… skip… track 7… here we are." 

When it reached the chorus Crowley belted out "YOU shook me ALLLL NIIIIGHT LONG!", and Aziraphale laughed. By the third time they listened to it Crowley was changing the lyrics to the verses so that it fit the two of them. By the sixth time, Aziraphale had the new lyrics written down in the little notebook he kept in his coat pocket, and was drawing a sketch of the statue in Crowley's flat to accompany them. 

"You never told me you could draw like that, Aziraphale!"  
"I used to illuminate bibles - you know that, dear."  
"Yeah but that's bibles. God probably would have helped you with that if you'd needed Her to. This is...us."  
"I KNEW that statue wasn't actually good vs evil!"  
"Oh, it's definitely good vs evil, but it's us too, Angel."  
"My dear, whilst I have always tried to be good, you've never really been evil."  
"Try telling that to God, Aziraphale."  
"You had a mind of your own and asked too many awkward questions - that's not evil, just inconvenient."  
"Same difference, as far as She was concerned though."  
"And She was WRONG, Crowley. There. I said it. GOD. WAS. WRONG. I don't care who hears me say it, She was wrong. You didn't deserve to Fall - or if you did, then I certainly deserve to join you!" 

"I've done Hell's bidding for 6000 years, Angel. Pretty sure I qualify as evil now, even if I didn't then."  
"You did just enough of Hell's bidding to keep them off your back, and no more. You've done SO much good - and not just because of our arrangement. You're the least demonic demon who ever existed."  
"And you're the least angelic angel."  
"I consider that high praise, if I'm being honest. Most of them are awful prats."  
Crowley laughed. "That's true. It's refreshing to hear YOU say it though."  
"I never really fit in up there, and I think we BOTH know that. I'm much happier down here with you and humanity."  
"I'm much happier UP here with you and humanity…most of them, anyway."  
"I really do hope that Upstairs and Downstairs leave us - and humanity - alone. At least for a few millennia."  
"Amen to THAT, Angel." 

As Crowley said this he pulled the Bentley into a parking space outside a small café, and shut off the engine. They went inside, and took seats at a cosy table in one corner. A waitress came over with menus, and greeted them cheerfully. "Hello gents! Beautiful day, isn't it?" Aziraphale politely agreed, and after glancing at the menu decided on a pot of English Breakfast tea, and scones with jam and cream. Crowley ordered an espresso and a Melting Moment, which he knew Aziraphale was likely to eat the majority of, but he was in the mood to nibble something. As the waitress returned to the counter, Aziraphale reached across the table and took Crowley's hand. Crowley's face lit up, which made Aziraphale beam in response. 

After several minutes of gazing at each other in adoring silence, Crowley said, "Have I mentioned recently that I love you, Angel?"  
"You have my dear, but I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing it, so by all means say it again, if you'd like."  
"I love you. _I love you. _**I love you.**"  
"And I love you, Crowley dear. It feels SO good to say that after holding it in for so long."  
"It's the best feeling in the world - loving you, and knowing you love me back." 

At that moment the waitress returned with their order, and seeing their radiant affection said, "It does my heart good to see two people so obviously and deeply in love. Have you been together long?"  
"It feels like both forever and no time at all," answered Crowley.  
"We've loved one another for a very long time, but I foolishly thought we couldn't actually be together until only recently," added Aziraphale."  
"Love conquers all!" exclaimed the waitress, startling them both with her enthusiasm.  
"It would seem so, yes," said Aziraphale, his gaze returning to Crowley. 

"I'll leave you two lovebirds be. Let me know if there's anything else you need," said the waitress, and she headed back to the counter once more.  
"I have everything I need right here in front of me," said Aziraphale, with a soft smile.  
"Tea and scones?" teased Crowley.  
"You, my dear."  
"You don't need crêpes?"  
"I've never NEEDED crêpes!"  
"I seem to recall an incident involving the Bastille that would suggest otherwise, Angel."  
"I didn't NEED crêpes, I WANTED crêpes, there's a difference!"  
"You were willing to get discorporated for crêpes. I think that's more than just 'want', don't you?"  
"Fine, I needed crêpes, but mostly because I couldn't have you, and I was eating my feelings."  
"You've eaten your feelings for as long as I've known you, Angel - that's the only time they threatened to remove your head from your shoulders for it."  
"Um. Actually, it isn't." 

"WHAAAT?!"  
"Uh. Well. There was a tiny little misunderstanding in 1927. During your big nap, you see."  
"What kind of misunderstanding, Angel?"  
"Oh, it's embarrassing, Crowley. You'll laugh, I'm sure of it."  
"I promise not to laugh. Please tell me?"  
"Oh, very well then. There was an absolutely marvellous little boulangerie in Amboise that sold the most delectable croissants and pain-au-chocolat. I THOUGHT I was asking the proprietress if she could make tarte normande, but apparently my French wasn't quite up to snuff, and her husband was under the misapprehension that I was calling HER a tart. He threw me bodily out of the store, and threatened to slit my throat if I ever set foot in the town again." 

For several moments Crowley sat blinking at Aziraphale, trying to school his features. Once he'd reined in the urge to burst out laughing, he said "Aziraphale. Love. I FORBID you to ever go to France again on anything but a full stomach, with me at your side. Is that understood?"  
"What about an empty stomach, but with you by my side to keep me out of trouble while I fill it with scrumptious food?"  
"Fine. But I'm holding your hand the entire time."  
"Oh, how wonderful! When shall we go?"  
"How about after we thank Adam?" 

"Oh goodness, yes, we really should get to Tadfield. It'll be mid-afternoon by the time we get there now."  
"Perfect timing. He'll be getting home from school just as we arrive."  
"School! Of course! With everything that's happened I'd completely forgotten he'd have school today!"  
"I hadn't, Angel. That's why I wasn't in any rush to get there."  
"I'd wondered why you were obeying the speed limits!"  
"There's a first time for everything, Angel. Might as well keep them rolling, since there have already been so many lately."  
"And lots of them have been VERY enjoyable!"  
Crowley chuckled, and said "They sure have, Angel. We could try a few more when we get home, if you like."  
"Ooh, I think I'd like that very much, my dear!"  
"Maybe even before we get home…"  
"What did you have in mind, darling?"  
"Let me surprise you?"  
"Alright. Shall we go?"  
"We should probably pay the bill first, Angel."  
Aziraphale placed a crisp £100 note on the table and said "Done!". Crowley shook his head, dusted crumbs from Aziraphale's coat, and said "Come on, then." 

Back in the Bentley Crowley ejected Back In Black and said, "OK Angel, we have about 20 minutes until we get to Tadfield. I challenge you to find a CD of actual be-bop in the glovebox."  
"IS there any be-bop in there, my dear?"  
"Yes, but I'm not telling you what it is. See if you can find it."  
"Alright…" Aziraphale held up random CD after random CD, getting "nope" and "nah" and the odd chuckle indicating he was wildly off course, until he held up an album by Norah Jones, and Crowley smiled. 

"Is this be-bop?!" Aziraphale asked excitedly.  
"No Angel, but it is jazz, so you're on the right track at least. Pop it in, I have a feeling you'll like her."  
🎶 _I waited 'til I saw the sun. I don't know why I didn't come… _🎶  
"Ooh, this is lovely, Crowley!"  
"She has a beautiful voice. Her father worked with the Beatles, back in the 1960s, you know."  
"Really? Was he a jazz singer too?"  
"Not even close. He played Hindustani music, and was brilliant at the sitar. He taught George Harrison to play. That's one of the Beatles."  
"Goodness. What a talented family!"  
"It happens like that sometimes." 

They listened to a few more tracks in companionable silence, clasping hands once again as Crowley drove them the remainder of the way to Tadfield. Arriving in Hogback Lane, Crowley parked the Bentley at the kerb outside Adam's family home, and they walked up the path to the front door. Aziraphale rang the bell, and when Deirdre Young answered the door, politely asked if Adam was at home. 

Adam himself ran to the door at that moment, and bolted past them to the Bentley. "It looks much nicer when it's not on fire!" he exclaimed.  
"I couldn't agree with you more," responded Crowley.  
"That's why we're here, Adam," added Aziraphale.  
"We wanted to thank you for all you've done for us. The Bentley. My bookstore. The extra books. Crowley's garden. The wine cellar. The bedroom. The throne. The gramophone. All the many changes you made. We…" Aziraphale had grown closer to tears as he went through his mental list, and with a tender glance at Crowley, broke down entirely. 

"Oh, I didn't know I'd done all of that!" said Adam, "I just wanted you to be happy."  
"You…didn't do all that on purpose?" asked Crowley.  
"Not exactly, no. There was no list in my head, I just thought 'they should be happy together', and I guess that stuff is what will make you happy. You are happy, right?"  
Aziraphale tearfully answered, "Yes we are, my dear boy. It's not really about the things though, it's about having each other, finally." 

"Anathema said she could tell from your auras that you were in love, but something was stopping you from saying it to each other. She said there was a halo in your auras that told her that. I can't see auras, but I believe her."  
"A halo…in our auras?" asked Crowley.  
"Yep. She said your halo was red but so thin it was really hard to see, like you were trying to tell him you loved him without saying it out loud." Adam looked at Aziraphale and added "Yours was golden and thicker, but cracked, like the 'I love you' was leaking out no matter how much you tried to hold it in. I wonder if your auras still have halos?"  
"I would be VERY interested to know that myself," said Crowley.  
"As would I!" said Aziraphale. 

"Anathema is probably home, if you want to go and ask her. I saw her in the garden on my way home from school," Adam told them. He turned to his mother, and asked "Is it alright if I walk with my Godfathers over to Jasmine Cottage, Mum?"  
"Yes, just make sure you're back by tea time, darling," Deirde answered.  
"I will! Thanks Mum. Come on, let's go find out what Anathema says!" 

Adam bounded excitedly in the direction of the cottage Crowley and Aziraphale had delivered Anathema and her bicycle to only a few days previously, with the angel and demon following along more sedately. As they neared Jasmine Cottage, Adam yelled out "Anathema, look who's come to visit!". Anathema's head popped up over the fence, her face flushed and hands filthy from gardening. "Oh, you've told each other!" she said immediately.  
"How did you know?" Aziraphale asked incredulously.  
"Your auras! You're positively incandescent!"  
"Is it really that obvious?" Crowley asked.  
"Yes! I'd probably be able to tell even if I couldn't see your auras, but I can, and it's… wow!" 

"Adam said our auras had halos on Saturday. We wondered if that was still the case," Aziraphale said.  
"They do, but they've changed completely - it's like they've been swapped and strengthened," Anathema replied.  
"Swapped AND strengthened?" Crowley asked.  
"Yes. Yours was a thin red, now it's solid gold. Aziraphale's was leaky gold, now it's solid red. Have you…" Anathema paused to consider her phrasing, given Adam's rapt attention. "Have you expressed your love with… more than words?" 

Crowley and Aziraphale looked at each other wide-eyed, then at Anathema. She smiled, then explained. "I've never seen auras with halos before, but they often have shadows. If a couple is deeply in love, sometimes a segment of their shadows are exchanged. It seems that's what your halos have done - but it's not just a segment, it's the whole thing. Part of your soul resides within the other person. It takes an incredibly strong bond for that to happen, and that bond must be at EVERY level, including the physical. I assure you, I didn't mean to pry." 

"We've exchanged parts of our souls?" Crowley asked, as though he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.  
Anathema looked at them thoughtfully for a moment. "Yes, I'm quite sure you have. Think of it like the Yin & Yang. You're mostly yourself with a small piece of Aziraphale, and Aziraphale is mostly himself with a small piece of you. You've exchanged more than most couples though, even amongst those whose auras trade shadows. You'd literally be incomplete without each other." 

Aziraphale had been quietly taking all of this in, and when he spoke it was with a depth of feeling that surprised even Crowley. "I've ALWAYS felt incomplete. It's only NOW that I feel whole."  
"Oh, Angel," Crowley choked back tears, then continued, "I feel exactly the same way." Crowley threw his arms around Aziraphale, and the angel responded by holding on to the demon as though his life depended on it. 

Eleven-year-old boys generally have a fairly low tolerance for romance, and the former antichrist was no exception. Grown men crying went well beyond this threshold, and Adam felt he needed to lighten the mood before Anathema started talking about how she felt for Newt - it was obvious even to him that they'd fallen swiftly in love, and he REALLY didn't want to hear about it. Adam had been raised by the Youngs to be polite though, so he decided to change the subject only slightly. 

"Hey Anathema, can you see MY aura now?" he asked.  
Anathema looked at him intently, and said "Actually yes, I can! It's bigger than I would have expected for someone your age - they usually grow as you do. It's different from any other aura I've seen, too. It has layers, almost like Saturn's rings. Most of it is a coppery golden sort of colour, but then it has alternating rings of red and gold, almost like…" she trailed off, then looked at Aziraphale and Crowley, who had composed themselves and were now standing closely beside each other, fingers entwined.  
"What is it?" asked Crowley.  
"Adam's aura. It has multiple halos. Alternating with your EXACT shades of red and gold."  
"Oh cool, I have halos like my Godfathers!" said Adam.  
Anathema looked at each of them in turn, then said "I don't understand it. How? What? Why? HOW?" 

"I assure YOU my dear, we have no more idea in that regard than you do," said Aziraphale. Turning, he added, "Isn't it almost your tea time, Adam? We don't want you getting in trouble on our account."  
"Yeah, I should probably head home - don't want to be grounded again. Thanks for coming to visit!"  
"Any time, Adam. Please do stay in touch. Your parents have the phone number for the bookshop. You'd be most welcome to visit if you're ever in London."  
"I'll see if I can talk them into it on the school holidays!"  
"That would be lovely. Thank you once again for everything - even though it wasn't specific."  
"Yes, thank you so much, Adam," agreed Crowley.  
"You're welcome. I'm just glad you're both happy now!" 

Smiles on each of their faces, the three of them turned and chorused "good-night, Anathema" with such synchronisation that it seemed almost rehearsed. Anathema said good-night to each of them in turn, then went inside the cottage for dinner, which could be smelt wafting through the kitchen windows. Aziraphale and Crowley walked Adam home, wished him a good night also, and got in the Bentley to head home. Norah Jones began playing again when Crowley started the ignition, and they enjoyed her soothing voice for the remainder of the album. 

When "The Nearness of You" ended Crowley said, "Alright Angel, surprise me with the next CD."  
"Oh goodness, the pressure is on!"  
"Not really, Angel. Anything that's not Queen will still be a bit of a surprise at the moment, after all."  
"I suppose when you put it like that…ok. Hmm. Oh, here we are." Aziraphale carefully hid the case from Crowley as he put the new CD into the car stereo. When The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" played, Crowley grinned and said, "See Angel, I knew you could surprise me!".  
"Is THIS be-bop?"  
Crowley chucked. "No Angel, this is doo-wop."  
"Oh, now you're just messing with me, Crowley. Honestly."  
"I'm not messing with you, this really is doo-wop! It's a subgenre of soul and R&B music."  
"What on Earth is Arand Bee music?!"  
"Not Arand Bee, R-and-B. Rhythm and Blues."  
"Oh. How many genres of music ARE there, exactly?"  
"I've never counted, Angel - lots though!" 

"Why haven't I ever heard half of them, do you think?"  
"Well, partly because you don't try to keep up, partly because Heaven is full of prats with no taste, and partly because all the best musicians are either in Hell or headed there. I would have introduced you to more of it sooner if I'd known you'd enjoy it so much."  
"I'm not sure I would have let myself enjoy it so much, before. Now though, I'm enjoying so many things. Being with you, most of all."  
"I'm enjoying that too, Angel." 

They drove along quietly for a while, listening to The Supremes and holding hands once again. Eventually Crowley took an exit off the motorway, and Aziraphale looked at him. "This isn't the way home, dear."  
"I know Angel - it's just a little detour. I'm still supposed to surprise you, remember?"  
"Oh, that's right! I'd completely forgotten."  
"I almost had too, but I was thinking about what Anathema said - how we must have told each other how we felt with our bodies, for our auras to have changed."  
"And that's made you take a detour?"  
"Yep. You'll see why in a few minutes." 

True to his word, it was only a handful of minutes later that Crowley pulled the Bentley off the road onto a narrow laneway, and only another minute or so after that, parked the car. With trees arching overhead from either side, the end of the laneway faced a small meadow of wildflowers. The moon came out from behind a cloud, gently illuminating the romantic spot.  
"Oh, what a lovely surprise Crowley, thank you! Won't the owners be bothered by us being here though?"  
"No, Angel. The owners are currently away on holidays."  
"How very convenient of them!"  
"It is, rather. This isn't the surprise though. This is just pretty scenery."  
"This isn't the surprise?"  
"No, Angel. We need to get out of the car for that."  
"Oh. Alright." 

They got out of the Bentley, and met at the front of the car. Crowley took Aziraphale's hand and led him to the centre of the meadow, where there was a patch of soft grass without wildflowers. He pulled Aziraphale close, and kissed him. As they kissed, Crowley slowly undressed the angel, and Aziraphale undressed him, until they were standing bare, wrapped only in each other. Crowley sank to his knees, pulling Aziraphale with him. Continuing the kiss, Crowley gently pushed Aziraphale back, so that he lay on the grass. He then kissed a path from Aziraphale's lips to his ankles, meandering from left to right and back again. Aziraphale sighed repeatedly as Crowley kissed him, watching as the demon moved further down his trembling body. Crowley then kissed his way back up, lingering in the most sensitive areas, and occasionally licking a trail between kisses. 

When he reached the angel's mouth Aziraphale wrapped his arms about the demon, hooked one leg around Crowley's, and rolled them over. He then deepened the kiss, and gently disentangled his arms. Using one arm to prop himself up slightly, he moved the other hand between them, caressing Crowley tenderly. He slowly moved his hand downwards, until it cupped Crowley between his thighs. The demon was already quite firm, and it didn't take long before the angel's gentle strokes had him moaning softly. "Angel, please. I want you."  
"How do you want me, Crowley?"  
"I want to be inside you. Please, Angel. Please don't make me beg." 

Aziraphale (after performing a minor miracle to ensure all was ready) carefully positioned himself, and Crowley slid gently home. They moved in tandem, working together to bring the other pleasure, until both reached their peak. They lay side-by-side in the soft grass afterwards, their legs tangled and arms about each other, looking into each other's eyes with love and wonder.

"You are so very beautiful, Crowley dear."  
"So are you, Angel - the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."  
"Have you never looked in a mirror, my love?"  
"Course I have."  
"Then I cannot possibly be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen."  
"You absolutely are, Aziraphale. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen anywhere - and that includes the nebulae I made before The Fall."  
"Oh Crowley! You cannot mean that!"  
"I certainly do mean it, Angel. Have I ever lied to you?"  
"Excluding the blatant falsehood of swearing to never think about me - no, you haven't."  
"Let's never count that one. We both know that was a load of rubbish."  
"We are FAR too entangled for that to ever be true."  
"Especially now, if what Anathema said is accurate, and you have a piece of my soul."  
"And you have a piece of mine."  
"We're finally whole."  
"It feels wonderful, being whole."  
"It certainly does, Angel. Should we head home, do you think?"  
"Yes, let's go home, have a lovely warm bath, and snuggle up in bed."  
"Bed sounds good - bed together sounds better!"  
"Oh, I quite agree!" 

**Footnotes:**  
* Aziraphale REALLY needed to pen a thank you letter to Adam - he'd been extraordinarily generous to the self-styled Godfathers he'd only met for 15 minutes. [return to text]

~ The average glovebox could never have held Crowley's CD collection, but then, the average Bentley didn't have a CD player. Crowley expected his CDs to fit in the glovebox, so they did. He had yet to be converted to Spotify and Android Auto, but it really was only a matter of time.[return to text]

**Author's Note:**

> **Soundtrack:**  
The Beatles are by far one of my favourite bands, thanks largely to my Mum, who got swept up with Beatlemania in her younger days.  
[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band](https://youtu.be/VtXl8xAPAtA)  
[With a Little Help From My Friends](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C58ttB2-Qg)  
[Let It Be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4)  
[Two of Us](https://youtu.be/cLQox8e9688)  
[The Long and Winding Road](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR4HjTH_fTM)
> 
> As an Aussie I had to include a bit of Acca Dacca (AC/DC), and I enjoyed comparing the cover of Back In Black to Crowley's wings.  
[Back In Black](https://youtu.be/pAgnJDJN4VA)  
[You Shook Me All Night Long](https://youtu.be/Lo2qQmj0_h4)
> 
> Norah Jones seemed an obvious choice for something softer, with her father linking back to the Beatles, and being jazz-but-not-be-bop.  
[Don't Know Why](https://youtu.be/tO4dxvguQDk)  
[The Nearness of You](https://youtu.be/Y2OLYmCAQ-A)
> 
> Finally, I think Crowley would love a bit of soul, and the Supremes are absolutely iconic.  
[Where Did Our Love Go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTBmgAOO0Nw)
> 
> **Additional Notes:**  
The line of Jane Austen that Crowley quotes is from Pride & Prejudice - which despite his claims regarding books, I firmly believe he's read countless times.
> 
> I should probably also note that I know absolutely nothing about auras, and I'm making it up as I go along.


End file.
